It's undoubtedly going to be a slow Saturday night, so instead of sitting around and twiddling our thumbs how about we make use of that certain over-the-top service so many of us pay $9.99 a month for and go retro with a live blog?
Our latest retro live blog will cover Survivor Series, which took place on Sun., Nov. 9, 1997, at the Molson Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and featured Bret Hart defending the WWE championship against Shawn Michaels in the night's main event.
We'll treat this live blog like we would any show airing live. It will kick off at 8 p.m. ET Saturday night, so if you want to follow along and chat with your fellow fans and friends here on the site, make sure you click "play" on the WWE Network at 8 p.m. ET and come back here for all the fun.
Coverage will roll below.
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SURVIVOR SERIES LIVE BLOG
Geno here.
This won't be a detailed breakdown of each match so much as a viewing party with some commentary thrown in as results roll. Let's hit it.
The WWE Network description for this show calls it "the most controversial event in WWE history." Kinda hard to argue with that, considering what would ultimately transpire.
They aired a promo on the Hart-Michaels rivalry right away. Easily one of the best feuds ever.
Tagline for this show: Gang Rulz, which tells you everything about what WWE was all about in late 1997 -- Edginess and poor spelling.
On the call: Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler.
Let's go.
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New Age Outlaws & Godwinns vs. Headbangers & New Blackjacks
Road Dogg and Billy Gunn weren't what we would come to know them as later after joining DX. In fact, they had just gotten together around this time. Road Dogg tried to be really edgy by calling the opposing team "queers" on his way to the ring.
There wasnt' much to this match. The Godwinns were taken out to leave the Outlaws, who managed to roll up Bradshaw to set up a 2-on-1 to the finish with Thrasher.
The finish was Thrasher countering a pumphandle slam and going for a pin -- which the referee was counting, even though Roadd Dogg had tagged out and wasn't the legal man -- but Gunn came off the top rope with a curb stomp and pinned Thrasher.
Fire that ref.
Survivors: New Age Outlaws
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Truth Commission vs. Disciples of Apocalypse
Is there any wrestler who had as many opportunities in so many different gimmicks as Crush? Damien Sandow has nothing on this guy.
The match started with CHAINZ vs. THE INTERROGATOR and CHAINZ was out after a sidewalk slam in a hurry. This could be because THE INTERROGATOR is a big dumb monster, a villain straight out of an Austin Powers flick. Funny thing about it is he actually went on to some solid supporting roles in movies like 300, Sherlock Holmes, and Hercules.
After a couple eliminations, it was down to 8 BALL & CRUSH vs. SNIPER & THE INTERROGATOR.
My god, WWE in 1997.
The story of the match was THE INTERROGATOR being too big, too dumb, and too strong to eliminate. Crush, leader of the DOA, was the last member of his team left. He took SNIPER out but was immediatley hit with the sidewalk slam and pinned by THE INTERROGATOR.
Survivor: THE INTERROGATOR
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They cut to people outside giving predictions on the Hart-Michaels match. It's basically 50-50.
Then we get a look at the "America Online" room, where Stone Cold Steve Austin is just hanging out chatting with fans online.
"I don't want anybody feeling sorry for me, this is just something I've got to do," he says.
In 2015, that man would have a Twitter account. Swig of water for the working man.
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Team Canada vs. Team USA
Steve Blackman was on the USA side and the back story was he rushed into a ring and started attacking members of Team Canada. Turns out he's a black belt badass and Vader requested he be able to join the squad. The other members of the team were Goldust and Marc Mero (with Sable, the future Mrs. Brock Lesnar who was already becoming a big star).
Vader's promo was to say they don't like big mouth Canadians telling them what to do. "It's not just Vader Time time, it's America time!"
Team USA entered to what you likely recognize as Kurt Angle's WWE theme music.
Montreal didn't give them the "YOU SUCK" treatment, by the way. I just don't understand a life lived without singing that when that particular theme comes on.
British Bulldog promised us Team USA will leave the ring losers. Doug Furnas talked about America being full of crime and slime. "They say love it or leave it -- I left it."
Right on.
Jim Ross noted that only one member of Team Canada was actually born in Canada while Jerry Lawler told him never to let the facts get in the way of a good story.
Atta boy, Jerry.
The match started with Mero throwing his cap at Bulldog, who proceeded to wipe his ass with it and throw it right back at Mero. It ended up in Sable's hands and she twirled it around above her head for some reason.
Blackman was the first elimination because he went to the outside and didn't realize he had to get back in to beat a 10-count, so he was counted out. Ross told us he's "not as well versed in the catch-as-catch-can style."
Vader evened the odds by eliminating Jim Neidhart after an elbow to the twig and berries. Then he took Phil Lafon out after a short beating.
Mero was next out when Furnas pinned him with a roll up and a handful of tights. The fans were really upset about this because it meant Sable would no longer be ringside, and they chanted her name as she was leaving.
Each time Vader tried to tag in Goldust, ol' Goldie wasn't having it. Furnas and Bulldog took turns beating the tar out of Vader while commentary wondered why Goldust wouldn't bail his teammate out. Finally, Vader slapped him in the face and threw him in the ring. Goldust responded to this by just walking out of the match. Ross informs us that smack in the face was considered a legal tag, and Goldust is counted out.
Amazing.
Vader eliminated Furnas with the Vader Bomb right after and while the referee was trying to get Furnas out of the ring, Bulldog grabbed the bell ringside and clocked Vader with it to get the pin and the win for his team.
Survivor: British Bulldog
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Kane vs. Mankind
Mankind's beef in this match was really with Paul Bearer for ruining an innocent child. They asked Mankind for any last words before the match. He said he didn't want it to be remembered as a wrestling match because it was him against a brick wall. He's not going to climb it, though; no, he's going to get a head start and run right through it.
They got started before Kane even got to the ring and they were still in that goofy red lighting they used for Kane back then.
The match was what it was. Kane was working like Undertaker at the time, not really selling much for anything and just beating on Mankind with various kicks, punches, and chokes.
Mankind attempted comebacks by ripping his hair out because that's just how Mankind gets going but it didn't work out for him. When he finally did make a comeback, that included a chair shot to get Kane back in the ring and a piledriver once there. He called for the mandible claw after and put it on Bearer on the outside. Kane recovered during this time and threw Mankind through the Spanish announce desk on the outside.
Poor Tito Santana was injured thanks to this.
Kane continued beating on Mankind until they got to the entrance aisle, where Mankind used a double arm DDT to neutralize the big man. Then he hit an elbow drop from the apron. He went to go to the top turnbuckle and when he got there, Kane stopped selling, jumped up on the apron, and just straight up threw Mankind on his back to the mat on the outside.
That had to hurt.
Still, Mankind got back up. When he crawled into the ring, Kane hit him with a Tombstone Piledriver for the pin.
Kane def. Mankind
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Legion of Doom & Ahmed Johnson & Ken Shamrock vs. Nation of Domination
They did an interview with the babyface team beforehand and Shamrock told us they're ready to get rid of "that criminal element."
Hawk started the match by no selling a piledriver from D'Lo Brown but Rocky Maivia got in and hit a Rock Bottom to get the pin and eliminate him with the quickness.
Ahmed Johnson eliminated Faarooq, who responded by holding his foot while Rocky pinned him to get him out of the match.
Kama was the next out, getting caught showboating when Animal rolled him up and pinned him. After some more action, the New Age Outlaws made their way out to taunt Animal before engaging him ringside and throwing some white powder in his face. He was counted out because he couldn't get back in the ring via blindness.
D-Lo decided he wanted to take Shamrock out, but ended up submitting to the Ankle Lock. As the refs rolled Brown out of the ring, Rocky hit Shammy with a chair shot to the back and tried to get the pin on it like he watched Bulldog do to Vader with the ring bell.
Only Shamrock kicked out.
They had a nice little back and forth that ended with Shamrock submitting Rocky with the Ankle Lock and then running around the ring like a madman to celebrate.
Survivor: Ken Shamrock
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Owen Hart vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
They played a video package beforehand selling Austin as "the guy who plays through the pain," showing him getting hurt in various big matches, like King of the Ring 1996, WrestleMania 13, and the match that led to this one, the SummerSlam bout with Owen where he broke his neck.
Owen was out with the Hart Foundation and they cheated immediately, with Neidhart getting in to distract Austin -- he was hit with a Stunner for his troubles -- so Owen could get on offense first.
They teased a piledriver spot right away, a callback to Owen breaking Austin's neck. Hart tried to walk out on the match but Stone Cold wouldn't let him, chasing him down and beating him up all the way back to the ring.
There wasn't much to the match after. Austin hit the Stunner and got the pin to win the Intercontinental title, which got a nice pop. Ross said he "walked into hostile territory" to take the title but "now the fans seem to love him." Great recovery.
Austin def. Hart
Lafon and Furnas ran out and were both hit with a Stunner.
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Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels
When HBK came out, someone threw a beverage on his head and he smiled and shook it off. Then he stole someone's Canadian flag, used it to pick his nose, gave it the suck it sign, then mock had very brief sex with it right there in the ring.
Hart got the hero's welcome and they let him soak up the cheers before Michaels got in with a cheap shot to start the match. And they went at it like two blood rivals would.
They fought outside the ring, into the crowd, they fought everywhere. Pat Patterson and Gerald Brisco were out there with a bunch of referees trying to get them settled down and back in the ring.
Shawn was in control for quite a while once the match finally officially got underway. When Bret made his comeback, he worked Shawn over with the figure four through the post, then back in the ring.
They did a ref bump shortly after this. Earl didn't stay down, though, instead getting up just as Michaels was putting Bret in the Sharpshooter. Earl demanded they ring the bell while Hart was trying to reverse it.
Michaels def. Hart
Ross openly wondered "what happened" while we see Bret spitting in Vince McMahon's face. We didn't see it but at some point he had made his way to ringside.
Michaels acted as though he wasn't sure what had happened. He got out of the ring in a huff, grabbed the belt like he was mad about it, and took off for the back, stopping only briefly to throw his arms up in celebration.
The WWE Network broadcast cuts off there.
End.